Fortunatly or unfortunatly, genetics are 90% of the equation. Also, how quickly you gained and lost the weight. Topical applications are only temporoary-or else we would ALL be looking fabulous!!! Suppliments are better then nothing...
But the rest is healthy diet and excercise-cardio AND weight lifting. And NO you will NOT bulk up!!! I've tried! You have to lift some SERIOUSLY heavy weight, go HARDCORE to get results like one would see on the cover of OXYGEN mag. Which is an AWESOME mag that I highly recommend!!!! Super motivating and geared toward people both just starting in weight lifting and those who go so far as to compete.

Yep, genetics. Since my pregnancy 6 years ago my tummy looks like a Shar Pei's a**. Nothings gonna fix THAT but going under the knife...and I'm not really into that.
~sigh